Whispered Longings
by courtsy445
Summary: Hayden Brodetti has an absolutley perfect life. She's pretty, popular, rich, and nice. But her world is shattered in one life-defending moment. She swore she'd make the best of it, but will there be anyone to help along the way?
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone.the first one or two chapters are going to be written in a first person narrative, and I think I'll eventually switch to 3rd person. I hope y'all enjoy it, and please review!  
  
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Holes, or any of the Hole's characters. I do, however, own the Brodetti Family and the Gillamatti family.  
  
~Chapter 1~  
  
It was a dark stormy night, and I was home all alone. Typical, right? I had just gotten off the phone with my dad, asking him when he would be home. He said within the next hour, so I sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket trying to ease my nervousness. I was just beginning to relax while watching "I Love Lucy" re-runs, when the electricity went out. Once again.how typical.  
I sighed, tightly wrapped the blanket around me, and tried to feel my way down to the basement. I finally made it, and acquired 3 brand new bruises on the way by bumping in to every piece of furniture possible. I opened the Breaker Box and was just about to flip the switch when I heard a loud crash above me. I jumped and my heart stopped. I quickly looked at my watch and noticed it had only been 7 minutes since I had talked to my dad. There was no way they could be home already. "Okay, stay calm" I thought to myself, "Something probably just fell, its no big deal". I grabbed my brother's baseball bat though, and slowly and silently worked my way upstairs. I opened the basement door, being extra careful not to let it squeak. I silently made my way through each room of the first floor, when I heard something upstairs. Now, in general, I'm a pretty brave person. But that night, all my courage took over me and I immediately went upstairs. I made my way to my parent's room where I saw a dark figure going through my mom's jewelry boxes. As I made my way farther into the room the lights suddenly flashed on. I immediately knew that it wasn't my father, uncle or anyone else that should be in my house. He jumped and looked up at me. My fear grabbed hold of me and I swung the bat with all of my might, allowing it to make direct contact with the intruder's neck. He collapsed on the spot, and I screamed and ran out of the house as quickly as I could.  
I didn't have shoes on and I felt the warm, Alabama grass between my toes. I ran as fast as I could across our all-to-large lawn until I finally made it to my neighbor's house. Breathlessly, I explained what happened and she immediately called the police and my parents.  
Fifteen minutes later my house was swarming with cop cars and neighbors. After a "thorough investigation of the premises" one of the police officers asked me to step inside. He calmly explained that in hitting the burglar, I had broken his neck, and ultimately killed him.  
"I.what?" I asked, feeling faint.  
"I'd like you to come upstairs and see him if you don't mind, we've had some tips that you may know him," the officer replied.  
I followed the him up the stairs, noticing how blurry everything had started to become. "I may know him?" I thought, "How could I possibly know him?"  
But as I reached my parent's room my fear was confirmed. "Samuel," I whispered, "Oh my God."  
"We've received information that you and this boy were friends," the officer explained to me, "Neighbors have reported that he's been here before, and that there is no strange reason that he should have been here tonight. I'm sorry Miss Brodetti, but we're going to have to take you in for questioning." 


	2. Chapter 2

The next thing I can clearly remember was me sitting in a courtroom, my family and Samuel's family surrounding me.  
"Well Miss Brodetti," the judge started, "This is a serious case being held against you. According to Samuel Gillamatti's family, you and him were very good friends, maybe even more. Recently, however, they believe that you were trying to get rid of Samuel, perhaps because you thought he wasn't good enough for you. Many of your neighbors have contested to seeing Mr. Gillamatti at your residence several times. Is it true, Miss Brodetti, as the Gillamatti family believes, that you purposely invited Samuel over that evening, with every intent of physically hurting him?" "What?!" I gasped, "Are you kidding me? I would never! Samuel and I were hardly even friends! He was my lab partner and he was often at my house so we could finish our chemistry projects! That's it!"  
"You're a liar!!" Mrs. Gillamatti suddenly screamed as she stood up and looked as though she was ready to lunge at me. "You're a dirty god damned liar! You will pay for this Hayden Brodetti! I'll kill you! I swear on my life I'll have you dead!!".  
I stared in horror as the guard dragged her and Mr. Gillamatti, who was making equally horrible threats, out of the room.  
"Hayden Brodetti," the judge sighed, I am sorry to inform you that the Court of the State of Alabama has found you guilty. You are hereby sentenced to 18 months of confinement. Before you leave, however, I would like to speak with you and your parents privately."  
I turned around and stared at my parents, tears welling in my eyes. My mother held her head in her hands as my father walked over to me and hugged me.  
"Daddy." I cried, but nothing else would come out.  
As everyone filed out of the courtroom, my parents and I made our way to the judges office.  
"Mr. and Mrs. Brodetti, Hayden," the judge began, "I just wanted to start off by telling you how truly sorry I am. I, for one, completely believe you, but let me explain the reasoning behind my decision. My Gillamatti family has a history of acting in violent, unexpected ways. It is for your safety that I have arranged for you to spend the next 18 months in a Texas correctional facility, called Camp Green Lake. It's actually a facility for boys, but I feel this will lessen the chances of the Gillamatti family finding you. You really are in a lot of danger here, Hayden, and I just want to make sure you stay safe."  
I nodded in disbelief as I felt my daddy squeeze my hand. "When do I leave?" I asked.  
"Tomorrow afternoon a bus will come to your house to pick you up. Be safe Hayden, and God Bless."  
"Thank you," I replied feeling tears falling down my face. 


	3. Chapter 3

~Chapter 3~  
  
Okay, before we go any further, I just want to make sure that y'all don't have the wrong impression of me. As you already know, I never had any intention of killing anyone, never mind Samuel Gillamatti. We were barely even friends, just chem. lab partners. I hardly even saw him in school, mainly because my school separates the girls from the boys except, for some strange reason, that one class.  
I go to Premier Academy, the "most prestigious prep school in all of Alabama". In fact, nearly everything in my life is prestigious. To say it simply and bluntly, my family is rich. Really, really rich. In fact, we're number 3 in the Southeast's list of 10 richest families. Sick, I know- people actually still rate families like that. But its true-look it up, and you'll see "The Brodetti Family-Kingsprings, Alabama" written clear as day.  
You see, my mom grew up her whole life in the "upper-middle class" and swore when she was 10 years old that when she grew up she would be rich. It was pure luck that she actually fell in love with my daddy-a man who could care less about money but made way more than anyone needed.  
Mamma always kept us at the top of society though. My whole childhood is a blur of high society parties and functions with people I hardly even knew. At least at those parties I got to see mamma though. My sister, brother, and I were practically raised by our au pair, Loretta.  
None of it ever fazed me though. I never felt the strong desire to have the designer clothes and the high-priced bags. My mother always just gave them to me, but I never really wanted them.  
My daddy has always described me as "a free spirit imprisoned in an all-too-strict society." I guess he's right. I'd rather live in the mountains in a teeny cabin than the way I do now any day. As long as I had someone I loved and who loved me back. That's the one thing my daddy taught me from the very beginning and that I've truly believed in all my life. Love is the most important thing in the world. Once you've got that, nothing else matters.  
  
*~Okay, I hope y'all liked that chapter. I made up the town of Kingsprings, Alabama. I have no idea if it really exists, so if it does its purely coincidental that it's in my story. Don't get mad if any of y'all live there or anything! Please review! ~* 


	4. Chapter 4

~Chapter 4~  
  
Anyway, now that y'all hopefully have a somewhat decent and correct impression of me, I'll continue with the story.  
The next afternoon came much too quickly, and before I knew it, there was a big, yellow school bus parked outside my house. I stepped outside into the warm, early-fall air, where my family was waiting. I approached my 14-year-old sister, Felicity.  
"Bye, Lissy," I whispered giving her a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek, "Don't find anyone else to fight with while I'm away," I teased, "that's my job."  
"You know I won't," she whispered through her tears. "Please write to me Hayden, I always want to know that you're okay. I love you."  
"Love you too, Lissy," I replied as I moved on to my seven-year-old brother, Logan.  
"Bye, bebe," I smiled, using the word my mother had always called us, "Be good for mamma while I'm gone, okay? And write me lots of letters."  
"I will, Haydie," He replied and quickly gave me a hug.  
I then moved on to my mother, who had tears in her eyes. "Mamma, I'm so sorry," I started, but she quickly shook her head and smiled a fake, pained smile.  
"Now don't you worry about it, bebe," She said as she tightened the pink ribbon that held back my light brown hair, "I'll make sure this does nothing to the family name."  
"Oh, mamma," I sighed as I hugged her. She always had the right intentions, but always for the wrong reasons.  
I started over to my dad and immediately felt the tears welling up in my eyes. This was going to be hard. I felt like my dad was the only person in the world who really understood me. "Daddy," I sobbed, as he pulled me into a hug, "I'm scared."  
"Listen to me, Hayden, don't be scared. You are only 16 years old, you've got your whole life ahead of you. This will seem like a two week vacation in retrospect. And what do I always tell you to do when you're scared? Say a prayer. Jesus will take care of you."  
That was another thing about my dad. He was an incredibly spiritual person, and was never afraid to share it with anyone. I really admired that about him. He always knew the right thing to say.  
I nodded. "I love you daddy."  
"I love you too, kiddo. Be good."  
"Come on, Miss, we don't have all day," The guard began, stepping off the bus, "Where's your bag?"  
"My bag?" I questioned, looking at my mother. The last thing I had thought about was a bag.  
"Oh! Don't worry!" my mother exclaimed, "I had Loretta pack it for you. Loretta!" she called.  
"I'm coming ma'am! I'm sorry," Loretta replied, stumbling out of the house lugging a huge Louis Vuitton suitcase behind her.  
"Oh, God," I whispered, under my breath, but smiled politely instead. "Thank you so much, Loretta. I'll miss you a lot."  
"I'll miss you too, Miss," she replied as she hugged me.  
"Come on, little lady," the guard remarked as he started towards the bus. I nodded and followed him towards the door. He took my bag from Loretta and, noticing the size and weight, raised his eyebrow at me.  
"Sorry, sir," I mumbled as I climbed the stairs of the bus and sat in the old brown seat. The guard followed me on and sat up front near the bus driver. He patted the driver on the back, and I felt the bus start to pull away. I waved to my family and watched them get smaller and smaller as my tears grew bigger and bigger.  
  
~Okay ,for anyone who doesn't know, "bebe" (there's supposed to be accent marks over the e's but my computer is being less than cooperative today) means "baby" in French. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter- Hayden's finally off to CGL! Please Review and let me know if there's anything specific y'all want me to write about.~* 


	5. Chapter 5

~* I just want to thank jazandsas and Allisonhope for reviewing. Y'all are the best! On to the next chapter!~*  
  
~Chapter 5~  
  
7 hours later, we were still on the bus. My tears had ceased long ago, and my thoughts were now beginning to wander. I had made a vow to myself somewhere around the 3rd hour of the drive that I was going to make the very best of this curve ball that had been unexpectedly thrown my way. "Who knows," I thought with a laugh, "Maybe I'll even meet a nice boy while I'm there." Then I remembered it was a correctional facility, not exactly the place you want to go looking for a boyfriend. "But hey," I reminded myself, "You're a good kid, maybe some of them are too."  
  
I never had the best of luck with boys. I was always really great friends with them, and flirting always occurred on both sides, but securing a boyfriend never actually happened. I once consulted my best friend since I was three, Blake, on the subject. He responded without any thought, saying the answer was simple. "You're the type of girl boys immediately fall in love with," he began. "You're funny, pretty, smart and nice. But it's the type of love that scares them-real love. That's why," he explained, "none of them ever end up asking you out. You're almost too perfect, and it scares them."  
  
Too perfect? How the hell can anyone be too perfect? Believe me, I am far from perfect. For one thing, I am the biggest klutz you will ever meet. I've procured more bruises in my life just from plain clumsiness than if I had been a horrifyingly abused child. Also, I speak my mind way too quickly. Its not that I'm rude, I just say things right off the top of my head, generally without thinking. The list of my imperfections could go on and on, but I'm sure you'll figure out most of them on your own.  
  
2 hours later, we were still on the road, with no end in sight. "Excuse me, sir?" I asked, waking the guard. "I'm sorry to wake you, but do you know how much longer it will be till we get there? Its almost dark."  
  
"Oh, we wont be there till tomorrow morning." He replied casually.  
  
"Tomorrow morning?!" I exclaimed, "I thought this camp was in Texas! I've never driven to Texas before, but on a map it certainly doesn't look that far."  
  
"Well, miss," the driver spoke up from the front of the bus, "These states we gotta drive through, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, are big, long states, and with all these bathroom breaks we've been making on your account, it ain't making the trip any shorter. We'll be there bright and early tomorrow morning."  
  
"Tomorrow morning," I sighed, and aimlessly looked around the bus. As my eyes passed the guard I noticed him looking at me. I smiled politely and lowered my eyes to my lap where I had my hands folded.  
  
"You must be of some wealthy blood, little lady," the guard remarked.  
  
"Excuse me?" I asked, taken aback by his sudden statement.  
  
"Well that house of yours we pulled up to today wasn't exactly modest. Why, my whole town could take up residence in your home. And that little outfit you got going there, not exactly the most cost-efficient attire I've ever seen. That's Polo Sport, isn't it? That little man and horse on your shirt? And those shoes-Birkenstocks I think they're called. Those are some damn expensive shoes. 125 dollars, is that right? Those earrings- real pearls, I suppose. My wife wanted a pair of them for Christmas last year, but they're just too damn expensive."  
  
I didn't say anything but sheepishly looked down at my outfit. I was wearing a white Polo shirt, a mid-thigh light green a-line skirt by Juicy Couture, and my tan Birkenstock clogs. My earrings were real pearls, but I always wore them. I hadn't even crossed my mind they were on. It seemed like a fine outfit when I got dressed this morning-it's the same type of thing I wear everyday. But I blushed, realizing just how preppy I probably looked to other people-my collar was popped and everything.  
  
The guard noticed me blushing annd chuckled to himself. He then put his head back and fell asleep. It was nearly dark, and I figured I may as well follow suit. I kicked my shoes off and tried my best to get comfortable. It was a sight to see, for sure. I must have switched positions 30 times. But around an hour later I had finally fallen asleep.  
  
I woke up around 7 the next morning, and looked outside. Everything had changed, and we were now in the middle of nowhere. As I took a closer look, however, I noticed we were surrounded by holes. They were all the same size, and they were everywhere. I closed my eyes again, wondering what they could possibly be for. 5 minutes later I had fallen back asleep. I was awakened an hour later by the guard's yelling.  
  
"Wake up, missy. We're here."  
  
~just a quick note-for anyone who doesn't know what an a-line skirt is, it's a skirt that is kinda straight at the top, and then progressively flares out. It's a bad, description, I know, but hopefully you get the picture. Well I hope y'all liked it, and please, please review!!!! 


	6. Chapter 6

~* Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I took so long to update. I had exams all week. I know yall are jealous but try and contain your envy. Anyway, I want to thank everyone who reviewed....you guys are awesome! Okay, on to chapter 6!!~*  
  
I rubbed my eyes and sighed. I had been dreaming about Samuel. Again. It had been a week and a half since the night I kil--.found him in my parents room, and I had already been to Confession 5 times. I had seen 3 different priests and each told me I was guilty of no sin; God knew it was purely an accident. But the vision of him lying on my parent's floor kept haunting me.  
  
"Come on, girlie, get up, we don't have all day," the guard snapped.  
  
I stood up, looked out the window, and saw nothing but boys. Boys and holes. I suddenly felt a surge of panic run through me as the words "all boys correctional facility" floated through my mind. This was the first time I think it had actually hit me that I was the only girl here. And from the looks of it, I was the only girl for miles. "This could be bad," I thought to myself, "really bad." But I reminded myself of my promise and resolutely stepped off the bus.  
  
The immense heat hit me like a brick wall as the guard led me by the shoulders to an old looking cabin. I stepped inside and was immediately greeted by the cool air-conditioning as well as by an aged looking man eating sunflower seeds.  
  
"Hayden Brodetti," he began, sneering at me. "16 years old, female. Sent to Camp Green Lake for murder." I cringed terribly as he said those words.  
  
"It was an accident," I began, but knew from the look on his face to stop.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," he replied, "the judge told us all about it. Hiding from that family, are we? Well let me tell you something, missy. You may be the only female here, except of course for the Warden, but I will not tolerate any of your crap. Do not expect any privileges or special treatment just because you are a girl. You will eat what the boys eat, sleep where the boys sleep, and dig where and how the boys dig. You will be allowed a separate shower time but that is for our sake. Not yours. Understand? If you have any problems, deal with them yourself. Or, if it is absolutely necessary-which it damn well better not be-you come and see me. My name is Mr. Sir.  
  
I found the name to be a bit odd but said nothing. He therefore proceeded to tell me the rules of the camp and gave me my uniform. He, the guard, and I all walked back to the bus to get my stuff.  
  
"What in the hell is that?!" Mr. Sir exclaimed as the guard lugged my suitcase off the bus.  
  
"My bag, Mr. Sir...sir" I replied, taking it from the guard.  
  
"Why the hell in tarnation did you pack so much goddamned stuff?" he asked curtly.  
  
"I didn't, sir," I replied quietly, "my nanny did."  
  
"Your what?!" He exclaimed, "Your nanny?! Ha! Did ya hear that boys? This one here's got herself a nanny! Well listen up missy. There ain't no nannies around here. You take care of yourself. Now get outta my sight. Pendanski!" he called, " Get over here and get this girl away from me!"  
  
A short, skinny man wearing a hat and an obscene amount of sunscreen on his nose hustled over to us. "Why hello there, Hayden. I'm Dr. Pendanski, the counselor here at Camp Greenlake. If you have any problems, I'm the one to talk to."  
  
"Yes, Dr. Pendanski, sir." I nodded.  
  
"Sir?" he replied, "Sir. I like that! Feel free to call me that any time!"  
  
Mr. Sir rolled his eyes and walked back towards his office.  
  
"Now," Dr. Pendanski continued, "You will be staying in D-tent. "D" stands for diligence. They were the only tent that didn't throw a fit when they found out a new camper would be staying in their tent.  
  
"So," I asked, biting my lip, "I'll be staying in the boys tent?"  
  
"Yes, you will," he replied, "but don't worry. They've been lectured extensively on the right to privacy and the boundaries that must not be stepped over. Now follow me to the tent. The boys should be back by now."  
  
As we headed toward the D-tent I felt all the boys eyes fall on me. I self-consciously pulled my skirt down a bit to cover more of my legs. I'm a fan of getting attention, but this was too much, and not the kind I was used to. We approached D-Tent and stepped inside. I noticed 8 sad-looking cots and crates in which to put your belongings. I lowered my bag to the floor and watched as 7 boys looked up at me.  
  
~* Okay, there's chapter 6. I hope everyone likes it. Chapter 7 will be up really soon. I already have it written so its just a matter of getting it typed. Please, please, please review, I need to know what yall think. Thanks guys!~* 


	7. Chapter 7

~* On to chapter 7!! ~*  
  
DISCLAIMER: No, unfortunately, I don't own Holes or any of the characters, although I wish I did! I only own Hayden.  
  
"D-Tent!" Dr. Pendanski exclaimed, "This is Hayden Brodetti, your new tent mate. Hayden, this is Rex, Ricky, Theodore, Alan, Stanley, Jose, and Zero." All of the boys rolled their eyes and sighed. "Well, I'll leave you all to get better acquainted. If you need anything, Hayden, I'm sure one of the boys will be glad to help."  
  
I watched helplessly as Pendanski closed the tent flap and walked down the steps. For one of the first times in my life I was nervous. Really nervous.  
  
"Yo, mom's a moron," an African-American boy with thick, round glasses spoke up, "Those ain't our real names. I'm X-Ray, not Rex, that's Zig-Zag, not Ricky, that over there is Armpit, not Theodore. Caveman-not Stanley- is over there. That ain't Jose, it's Magent, and that's Squid, not Alan.  
  
"My dad's name is Alan," I said quietly as I looked at Squid.  
  
"Yeah, well your dad ain't here," X-Ray snapped, "And like I said, it's Squid. Not Alan." He sighed, obviously annoyed at something, and got up. "Man, I'm outta here," he stated as he exited the tent.  
  
"Man, what the hell is his problem?" Armpit asked.  
  
"He's just mad she's not some ghetto-fabulous chick," Zig-Zag joked.  
  
"Ay, chica, that bag! You have one of those? Them bags are like $1500 bucks. I tried to steal one of them for my sister once but the security in that place is insane. Louis Vuitton or something, right? Damn girl, you must be rich."  
  
Everyone looked at me waiting for my reply. "I guess," I mumbled. For about the millionth time in my life my family's money had brought be more embarrassment and shame than it had pride. "So," I said brightly, trying to change the subject, "which bed is mine?"  
  
"This one," Caveman replied, pointing to a cot at the other end of the tent between his and Squid's.  
  
"Thanks," I replied as I picked up my bag.  
  
"Here, I'll get it," Squid offered as he reached for my bag.  
  
"Um, thanks," I replied as I followed him towards my cot. He picked it up and placed it on the bed, and we all watched as it collapsed under the weight.  
  
"Damn, girl! What you got in that bag?!" Armpit exclaimed.  
  
"I don't know," I answered as Squid and I tried to put my cot back together, "my nanny packed it."  
  
"Yeah," Zig-Zag remarked eyeing me suspiciously, "These cots can hold Armpit, its pretty scary if they can't hold your bag."  
  
The boys laughed as I knelt down to open my bag. "At least she packed sensibly," I said as I pulled out a Polo Sport baseball cap. "Or...not..." I remarked as I pulled out a pair of Gucci heels. "I don't think I'll be wearing those anytime soon."  
  
"Ooh girl, those are hot. What else you got in that bag?" Magnet inquired.  
  
"Oh, CD's!" Squid exclaimed as he reached into my bag. "Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Who... You're an old fashioned kinda girl, aren't you?" He asked me.  
  
"I guess so," I replied, "my cousin always used to make fun of me and say I was born in the wrong time."  
  
"No, I like it," Squid smiled, "It's refreshing."  
  
I smiled bashfully and continued to unpack my things. Why was I feeling so shy? I'm never shy. I'm usually the first one in a situation to make friends, and here I was having trouble saying simple sentences.  
  
15 minutes later I was finally finished packing my bag. "What was the point in even packing one?" I thought, "Its not like we get to wear our own clothes anyway."  
  
"Listen," Squid said as he walked over to me, "We're all gonna head over to the Wreck Room before dinner. You wanna come?"  
  
"No, I actually think I'm going to take a nap. I hardly slept at all the whole bus ride with all the guard's snoring. Thanks though."  
  
"Okay, I guess one of us will come get you before dinner starts."  
  
"Thanks," I replied as I took off my shoes.  
  
"Sleep tight," Caveman said quietly as they left the tent.  
  
"Thanks!" I called out. He was a nice kid, I decided. They all seemed nice. Except for X-Ray. I cringed to think that I had started out my first day on a bad foot with someone when I hadn't even done anything. I continued to let my thoughts wander until I had finally fallen asleep.  
  
~* Okay, I'm very sorry its so short. Chapters 6 and 7 were actually supposed to be one chapter, but I thought that was kinda long. But, now I see that separately they're kinda short. Anyway, I'm working on Chapter 8 as we speak, so it will be up soon. Please Review and thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!!~* 


	8. Chapter 8

~*I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed the last two chapters. I really really appreciate it!!! It really means a lot to me, so please keep it up!~*  
  
-Chapter 8-  
  
I woke up two hours later but kept my eyes shut tight. Maybe the past week and a half had all been a dream. Maybe my way-too-active imagination had made it all up.  
  
"Hey Hayden, come on. It's dinner time."  
  
Maybe not.  
  
I opened my eyes to see Zig-Zag and Caveman standing at the foot of my cot.  
  
"Come on, girl, we gotta go. The dinner bell rang three minutes ago," Zig-Zag explained.  
  
"Okay, I'm coming," I answered stretching and yawning. As I raised my hands over my head my shirt raised up to reveal part of my stomach. I immediately lowered my arms and pulled my shirt down. "What is wrong with me?" I thought, "Why do I feel so protective of myself?"  
  
I was never one to flaunt myself or anything, but I never really cared if someone saw a little skin or anything. I mean, everyone has a stomach, right? Its really not that big of a deal. Mamma always used to yell at me about it. She said I was way to free-minded and reminded her of "those damn hippies" that were around when she was growing up. I calmly explained to her that she was just way to paranoid about life.  
  
I followed Zig-Zag and Caveman out of the tent and down to the dining hall. I looked around me at the sea of orange. I glanced down at my own clothing and realized I had forgotten to change. Now I stuck out even more like a sore thumb. We worked our way towards the rest of D-tent, who were on line getting their supper. I joined them and stood behind Squid, taking a tray from the pile.  
  
"Oh, here," he spoke up suddenly, noticing I was behind him, "You can go in front of me.  
  
"Oh, no, no, its okay," I shook my head, "You were here first."  
  
"No, ladies first, right?" he shrugged.  
  
"No, its-" I stopped as I heard X-Ray snicker from in front of Squid.  
  
"He said go in front of him, just do it! Do you always have to make a scene?" He snapped angrily at me.  
  
"No, I just...." I sighed as I gave up talking and slowly moved in front of Squid. We all got our food and sat down at the same table.  
  
"God," I said dully, "this food makes mamma's cooking look good. And the only thing she can actually make is toast."  
  
"So you always had to make your own food?" Magnet asked, "Me too."  
  
"No, Robert usually made it," I answered quickly, lost in my thoughts of home.  
  
"Who's that?" Squid asked, "Your brother?"  
  
"No," I replied, pushing the slop around, "He's our....chef."  
  
X-Ray snorted from the other end of the table. I rolled my eyes as I lowered my fork and picked up my napkin. My "Southern-Bred Manners", as my aunt who now lived in New York City always called them, instinctively kicked in and I placed the napkin on my lap. X-Ray snorted again and Armpit stifled a laugh as I realized what I was doing and blushed.  
  
But as quickly as I had blushed I started to become angry. "This is ridiculous," I thought, "I'm going to be here for 18 months and I'm not going to be a shy hermit the whole time. They're only boys, not rabid dogs. And I promised myself, remember? So just stop it right now." I exhaled quickly as I looked up at my tent mates.  
  
"So," I began, "What are y'all here for?"  
  
"Oh, we'll wait till our little counseling session with Mom after dinner to tell you. Thats when you get to know all the good stuff," Squid replied, laughing.  
  
"Oh, okay," I said, looking down at my food. "Um....who's Mom?" I questioned, looking up at him quickly.  
  
He laughed again and proceeded to explain. "Pendanski...you know the short annoying guy who introduced us all? We call him mom."  
  
"Oh. Why?" I questioned. That was another of my imperfections. I was a way too curious person and always got yelled at for it. I noticed X-Ray roll his eyes and elbow Armpit as Squid smiled.  
  
"Well...I guess its because he cares so much. Or acts like he cares so much. I don't know, I guess that's it," He responded. "Caveman? Any input here?"  
  
"Nope, I think you got it under control," he laughed.  
  
There was a brief lull in the conversation before it was interrupted by Zero.  
  
"I like your ribbon," he said quietly, "my mom used to wear one just like it."  
  
I reached my hand to the back of my head as the boy's jaws fell open. "Oh, thanks Zero," I smiled.  
  
"Zero talked to you!" Armpit exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, the only one he ever talks to is Caveman!" Magnet said in awe.  
  
"You must really be something special," Squid said, his gaze fixed on me.  
  
"He just said he liked my ribbon guys, its no big deal," I said as I noticed Zero staring at his plate.  
  
"No, you don't understand," Zig-Zag started, but was interrupted my Mr. Sir's yelling.  
  
"Let's go Girl Scouts! Dinners over! Back to your tents!"  
  
Everyone stood up and filed toward the garbage can. "I always wanted to be a Girl Scout," I thought as I exited through the door.  
  
~* y'all...i don't really like this chapter. ( I don't know, its just not one of the best. Still though, please please let me know what you think. And what do you think about Hayden like as an actual person? I feel like I'm being as consistent as I can in her characterization, but I don't know if that's being carried out from the readers point of view. Please let me know! Oh, and anyone have any suggestions for nick-names for her? Should she even have one?~* 


	9. Chapter 9

*~Hey everyone..thanks so much to Sarah, jazandsas, and Pearl Brandybuck for reviewing. And jazandsas- I was thinking the same thing for her nickname! I guess that will be it then. Anyway, on to chapter 9~*  
  
DISCLAIMER: Nope, I don't own Holes, of any of the characters in that book. I only own Hayden (and Samuel and their families)  
  
~Chapter 9~  
  
As I made my way back to the tent I heard someone running behind me. I slowed down and turned around.  
  
"Hey", Squid spoke breathlessly as he caught up with me.  
  
"Hi," I replied, "What are you doing?"  
  
"Going back to the tent. What are you doing?" He questioned.  
  
"Well what do ya know? The exact same thing." He laughed as I paused for a moment. "So, whats up with X-Ray? He doesn't seem to like me very much."  
  
"Eh, that's just X. Its just the way he is. Not exactly the friendliest of people. Just give it time though. Wait till you get to know him. He's cool."  
  
"I hope so," I replied, smiling uncertainly as we approached the tent.  
  
We entered to find everyone sitting in a circle, Pendanski following close behind Squid and I. I sat towards the back of the circle next to Zero. Squid followed me and sat on my other side.  
  
"Well, D-Tent," Pendanski exclaimed enthusiastically, "Here we are, all together, like one big, happy family." I watched as each of the boys rolled their eyes. "Now, lets begin, shall we? Hayden, we'll start with you. How do you like Camp Green Lake?"  
  
"Um, its...nice," I began, "I haven't dug any holes yet so I don't know how that will go over, but y'all seem really nice, so its going well so far."  
  
"Fantastic. Now boys, why don't we share our little stories with Hayden here. I'm sure she'd love to tell us her story when we're all done."  
  
They proceeded to relay their horror stories to me: drunken mothers, absent fathers, no parents, no money, and just plain bad luck.  
  
"Alright, Hayden," Pendanski said, turning to me when they had all finished, "Your turn."  
  
"Well, um, I don't really know where to begin," I said, fidgeting.  
  
"Why don't you try the beginning?" X-Ray suggested sarcastically, "That's usually where people start."  
  
"Okay," I replied, trying my absolute hardest to stay civil towards him, "Well, lets see."  
  
God, how I hated this story. Just thinking about it nauseated me. Now I had to tell it to a bunch of strangers? But it didn't look as though they'd let me by without telling it, and Pendanski would know for sure if I made something up, so I continued on.  
  
"Um, well I was home by myself one night and the electricity had just gone out. I mean, would it happen any other way? So I went to the basement to try and fix the problem when I heard something crash upstairs. To make a long story short, I ran into the guy who was in my house, hit him on the neck with a baseball bat, and accidentally kil--....he died on the spot." I took a deep breath before continuing on. "I later found out that it was actually this boy I went to school with, my chem lab partner, Samuel. He was going through my mom's jewelery boxes though! It wasn't exactly an everyday visit. Anyway, his family said they knew Sam and I were more than friends-which we weren't-and that I had planned to at least hurt him, if not kill him, because I thought he was bad for my family's image. They told me they would kill me and that's how I ended up here, at an all-boys camp."  
  
I glanced around as I finished at all of the boys staring at me with their mouths open. Everyone except X-Ray, who was simply glaring at me.  
  
"You killed a person?!" Magnet exclaimed in awe.  
  
"No! I didn't mean....It was self defense, I didn't know who he was! It was just instinct!" I felt a lump in my throat threaten me with his army of tears sitting pooled in my eyes ready to attack. This was one thing I couldn't take-people thinking I was a murderer. Me! The girl who cried herself to sleep when her goldfish died!  
  
"Bull." X-Ray spat from the other end of the circle.  
  
I spun around and looked at him, my body tense with the fear of falling tears. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Its bull. You think we're gonna buy that piece of shit story? You meant to kill him and you know it."  
  
"X, man..." Squid attempted to interrupt.  
  
"No. You may have your whole "Southern Belle" thing going on, but let me tell you. I can see right fucking through it. You think I don't know about girls like you? Dirty whore. You probably had your daddy pay your way into this shit hole just so you could sleep around. Well make sure you know, princess, that you ain't gonna get it from this tent, and you sure as hell ain't gonna get it from me. Pft, fuck this man, I'm out."  
  
We all stared as X-Ray swiftly exited the tent for the second time that day.  
  
"Believe me, asshole!" I screamed as tears fell down my face, "I wouldn't want anything from you if you were the last boy on the PLANET!"  
  
I quickly tried to wipe my tears away as the rest of the boys started yelling.  
  
"Man, what the hell was that?!" Zig-Zag yelled.  
  
"X has got some serious problems today," Caveman commented.  
  
"No dude, that was absolutely ridiculous," Squid shouted, shaking his head.  
  
"Shouldn't we go and get him?" Magnet asked.  
  
"Hell no man. Leave him. Maybe he'll fall in a hole," Armpit smiled.  
  
They continued to scream as I finished drying my eyes and felt Zero touch me gently on the arm.  
  
"So," Pendanski spoke loudly and casually above the boys, "Hayden, do you play any sports?"  
  
~* Okay guys I'm so sorry for using such bad language, but I had to make it seem realistic! I hope I didn't offend anyone, but I'm sure yall have heard it all before. Anyway, please please review!~* 


	10. Chapter 10

~Chapter 10~  
  
Know what the really sick thing about Pendanski's question was? He was dead serious. We all stared in disbelief as he waited calmly for my answer. He couldn't be serious though, could he? X-Ray had just torn me to shreds and he wanted to know if I played any sports?! Amazingly though, he was.  
  
"Well, I...um..I'm a gymnast," I said uncertainly as I looked at all the boys looking at Pendanski in disgust.  
  
"A gymnast. Wonderful. Good for the mind and the body. And do you compete at all?"  
  
"Yes," I answered slowly, "I've had a lot of competitions. I've won a few gold medals, mostly for the balance beam, which is pretty ironic considering how clumsy I am." I paused. "Um, Dr. Pendanski, sir, didn't you hear anything that just went on?"  
  
"Why of course I did. You've won a few golds for the balance beam. That's excellent. Well boys, -and girl- I think that's all the talk time we need for today. I will see you all bright and early tomorrow morning." I watched him close the tent flap and head back towards his cabin before letting my jaw nearly hit the ground.  
  
"Was he for real?!" I exclaimed, "It was like he wasn't even there when everything happened!"  
  
"Hayden, I'm really sorry," Squid began, "I don't know what's wrong with X today, but that was totally outta line, even for him."  
  
"Yeah," Armpit added, "That was just harsh. Callin' you a dirty whore like that. Man that must've hurt. Your ego must really be aching right-"  
  
"Pit, man that's enough." Squid interfered, getting up and heading towards his cot. "Come on guys, lets go to sleep. All this arguing made me tired as hell."  
  
The boys all silently agreed as they made their way towards their cots. I went to my suitcase to get my toothbrush and pajamas. "Where do I brush my teeth?" I asked.  
  
"Brush your teeth?" Armpit questioned, "Man, I forgot all about that concept. Outside near the showers, there's a couple sinks."  
  
"Oh, God," I thought, "He better be the only one who's forgotten that concept or I'll have to remember not to get too close to anyone here."  
  
I found my way through the desert darkness to the sinks where I brushed my teeth and washed my face, letting the cool water ease the sting my tears had produced on my cheeks. X-Ray still didn't seem to be back yet, but I waited just outside the tent for a minute to make sure. The boys were all talking loudly and my girl instincts for eavesdropping kicked in.  
  
"So, y'all, what do you think?" I heard Magnet ask.  
  
"About what?" Armpit asked dully from the back of the ten.  
  
"About Hayden! Who else would I be talking about dumbass?" Magent snapped sarcastically.  
  
"I don't know, she seems really nice," Zig-Zag responded.  
  
"So, you think you like her?" Squid inquired.  
  
"Nah, I don't think so. She's not my type. I mean she's cute but I think if I was going to feel anything I would have felt it by now. Right Magnet?"  
  
"Yeah, hombre*. She's a cute chica* but not the kind I really go for. What do you think Caveman?"  
  
"Same thing. I kinda wish I did like her though. I've never had a girlfriend. Who knows?" He continued, laughing, "This coulda been my shot. Oh well."  
  
"She reminds me of my mom a little bit." Zero spoke up from his cot in the corner.  
  
"Whoa, Zero, what is up with you today?! That's two times you've spoken to us in one day! It's a miracle!" Armpit cried out, as Zig-Zag chuckled in agreement.  
  
I heard Caveman move over to Zero's cot though, which was right near the door. "How does she remind you of your mom?" Caveman asked quietly as the rest of the boys joked around.  
  
"I don't know, she's just...like her. She's really polite and she seems really nice, but she doesn't really let people push her around. I think she really knows who she is. Just like my mom did," he responded equally as quiet.  
  
"So the general consensus..whoa man, that's a good word I just used isn't it?-is that we all like her, but none of us like like her. Right?" Magent asked.  
  
"Right" they all answered.  
  
"And so it begins" I thought, as I stood outside the tent. "The friendships have started, the useless flirting will commence, and it will all be pointless."  
  
"Squid?" I heard Magent call from inside. "Right? Is that the general consensus? Or do you like her? Its okay man, just tell us."  
  
"What?" Squid asked, obviously startled. "Oh, I don't know. I...I guess. I don't know. I just met her. I don't know."  
  
I felt a small smile creep over my face and I decided it was time to go back inside. I opened the tent flap and stepped in. "So, y'all talking about me?" I smiled as I looked around at them.  
  
"No, not at all," Zig-Zag answered quickly. "Why would you think that?"  
  
"I was just kidding," I lied, "I know y'all were talking about your own boy stuff." I walked over to my suitcase, masterfully changed into my pajamas without having to remove my clothing, and climbed into the cot.  
  
It smelled like someone had repeatedly thrown up on it and then peed in their sleep. "Oh my God," I gagged, "Do they all smell this bad?"  
  
"Unfortunately," Caveman answered, "Believe me, though, you'll get used to it."  
  
"Ugh, this is awful!" I said as I climbed out of the bed and kneeled down at my suitcase. "Come on," I said aloud, "She packed everything else, she must have packed it."  
  
"Packed what?" Armpit asked curiously, trying to peek into my bag.  
  
"This," I exclaimed as I pulled out a bottle of Vera Wang perfume. "Thank God," I laughed as I sprayed my bed. "Anyone want any?"  
  
"Hell, yes!" Everyone raised their hands as I walked to everyone's bed and gave it a quick spray.  
  
"It smells just like you," Squid said quietly as I moved away from his bed. I blushed as I moved on to Armpits.  
  
"Oh, no thanks" he said, shaking his hand at me. "I kinda like the smell of mine."  
  
"Okay," I said, laughing as I climbed back into my bed. "Much better," I whispered as Zero turned off the light and I slowly fell asleep, dreaming sweetly of home.  
  
~Okay, so there's Chapter 10. It's a bit pointless, I know, nothing too important happened. Except we found out that Squidy may have a little crush. Sorry y'all I know there are MILLIONS of Squid romances out there, but I just watched Holes and, well, what can I say? I was inspired. Anyway, I'm sure most of y'all know, but for anyone who doesn't, "hombre" means "man" in Spanish, and "chica" means "girl". Please review mine and I PROMISE I'll review yours!~ 


	11. Chapter 11

~Chapter 11~  
  
I was abruptly awakened the following morning by a loud bell. For a minute I thought I was still dreaming. It was, after all, still completely dark out.  
  
"Let's go D-Tent!" I heard Pendanski yell as he walked past our tent, "4 o'clock, rise and shine!"  
  
"4 o'clock?" I mumbled, pushing the blanket off my feet and placing them on the floor, "Oh my God." I sat there for a minute, my elbows on my knees, chin in my hands, staring blankly ahead. The sleep still had left neither my eyes nor my brain and I struggled to focus in on the boys roaming around the tent, dressing and arguing.  
  
"Come on Ribbon, let's go. You don't want to be late your first day, do you?" asked Caveman.  
  
I continued to stare blankly, trying to figure out if I was still sleeping or not. And who was Ribbon? I decided then that I must be dreaming, because he was clearly speaking to me, and last time I was informed my name was still Hayden.  
  
"Ribbon! Come on! Are you even awake?"  
  
"Who is Ribbon?" I asked, finally breaking my gaze with the tent wall.  
  
"You are," Squid replied, walking over next to Caveman as he finished pulling on his orange jumpsuit. "We decided it fit because it's the reason Zero first talked to anyone except Caveman."  
  
"You mean X-Ray gave me a nick-name?" I asked excitedly.  
  
"No, we did. We chose it when you were out brushing your teeth last night."  
  
"Ugh, speaking of..." I replied, making a sour face, "I need to go do that again."  
  
"Well you better hurry up. You've got 5 minutes to do that, get dressed, and grab your shovel," Squid said as he walked toward the tent flap.  
  
I grabbed my toothbrush, ran out of the tent and brushed my teeth as quickly as I could. I splashed water on my face in an attempt to wake myself up, but to no avail. I walked as quickly as I could back to the tent and noticed the last of the boys leaving. "At least I can change in peace," I thought, and I quickly changed into my jumpsuit.  
  
"Mamma would DIE if she saw me wearing this," I thought, laughing, as I ran out of the tent while putting my hair into a high pony-tail and placing the baseball cap on top of my head. I made my way over to the boys and Squid handed me a shovel. "Here, I got you one."  
  
"Oh, thanks," I replied, "You didn't have to do that."  
  
"Don't worry about it," he said quickly as he walked away.  
  
"Someone's not a morning person," I thought as I followed Mr. Sir and the rest of the boys to our assigned digging area.  
  
The sun was barely beginning to peek over the distant mountains as Mr. Sir marked out my digging area with his boot. I nodded to show I understood, and sighed as I watched him drive away. The boys had already begun and were silently digging away. I noticed that this was the quietest I had ever heard them. They even spoke in their sleeps.  
  
I decided I better start so I firmly stabbed my shovel into the hard, parched earth. I felt the shovel shake as it sent a horrifying jolt through my body.  
  
I definitely wasn't dreaming anymore.  
  
"Its like that feeling you get when you hit a baseball really hard in cold whether, isn't it? That sick shock that shoots throughout your whole body."  
  
I looked up to see Squid standing next to me. "Yeah, yeah it is," I replied, remembering the same feeling occurring the times I had played baseball with my dad at our house in Vail.  
  
"Here, start in one of those cracks, its easier," he showed me as he handed me back my shovel and walked away.  
  
He was right. 10 minutes later I had a good 3-inch hole. I stopped for a second and looked around. I couldn't help but stare at the beautiful sunrise. The sight literally took my breath away. These were the things I lived for. Sunrises, sunsets, skies brimming with stars. They were the moments that brought me complete and utter peace. I looked around and noticed Zero staring just as intently. I smiled as I picked up my shovel and continued digging.  
  
But as the temperature increased, so did my temper. I was dirty, I was disgustingly sweaty, and my hands were a bloody mess. The lunch truck had come over and hour ago and I was famished. I couldn't give up though, I was nearly finished. Just two feet left, and I was home free. I pulled my jumpsuit sleeves down over my bleeding, sore hands and tried my best to stay calm. My frustration was at its peak and I could feel the tears approaching. When I saw Zero spit in his hole and leave, I exasperatedly plopped down in my hole and threw my shovel. I sat there for a while, staring at the opposite wall of the hole, wondering for just how long I would be able to maintain my optimistic attitude. I had to face it. This was hell. Hell on earth. I sighed, thinking that if I had been home at that moment I would be sitting in my AP English class, reading about Shakespeare's "Macbeth". Oh, how I longed to be reading Shakespeare at that moment.  
  
"Hey, Ribbon," I heard a voice shout.  
  
"What?" I replied dully and exhaustedly.  
  
"You still alive?"  
  
"Unfortunately," I replied equally as dully as before. I heard the voice laugh and I forced myself to get up and continue digging.  
  
I had about 5 inches left when I saw Zig-Zag, Armpit, and Magnet leave. At 3 inches Caveman and X-Ray prepared to follow suit.  
  
"Squid, man, what's taking you so long? Let's go." X-Ray said.  
  
"I had a slow start. I'm tired, I didn't sleep so well last night. I'll be done soon," He replied.  
  
"Maybe if you hadn't been talking the whole night, you wouldn't be so tired," I thought, my annoyance level reaching its maximum. We silently continued digging and I heard him get out of his hole as I approached my last inch.  
  
"You almost done?" he asked, looking down into my hole.  
  
"Yeah, just about an inch left," I answered.  
  
He waited as I finally completed my very first hole at Camp Green Lake. "Done." I stated, dropping my shovel as I tried to climb out. My body ached like it had never ached before and I could see that getting out was going to be a challenge.  
  
"Here, let me help you," he said as he took hold of my hand.  
  
"Ow!" I cried, pulling quickly away from his grip and falling back into the hole. He looked at his own hand and saw the blood that had been transferred from mine.  
  
"Oh my God," he spoke, as he grabbed my upper arm instead and pulled me out, "Let me see your hands."  
  
I looked at them myself and then slowly raised them to his view. He took both of my hands in his and winced. "My God, Hayden, why didn't you say anything? You were out here all day digging like this?"  
  
"I don't know," I replied quietly, "I didn't want y'all to think I was a wimp or anything."  
  
"No, Ribbon, this is bad. None of us would've thought you were a wimp for this. Come on, we gotta get back to camp. You can't walk around with them looking like that." He grabbed my shovel along with his own and we headed back to camp.  
  
"Mr. Sir!" Squid exclaimed as we approached camp, "Mr. Sir, Hayden really needs something for her hands. Look at them. I've never seen anyone's hands that bad."  
  
Mr. Sir grabbed them with his own rough hands and I winced. He looked at them quickly as he held them tightly. "They're fine. Everything turns to callous eventually. Suck it up, and deal with it."  
  
"Don't we have any band-aids or anything?" Squid asked, looking at my hands once again.  
  
Mr. Sir sighed, annoyed at Squid's persistence, and pointed towards a small cabin I hadn't before noticed. "In there," he replied, "It used to be a First-Aid station or something. I don't know what's in there, but you can look. I sure as hell ain't doing it though. You want her hands to be bandaged, you do it yourself."  
  
He nodded as we made our way to the "First-Aid Cabin". As we walked we noticed X-Ray walk past, looking at us.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice full of concern.  
  
Squid's brow was wrinkled with worry, as he held up my hand to X-Ray. "Her hands," he replied, "they got really beat up while digging. I've never seen anyone's so bad".  
  
X-Ray walked towards us as he looked at me with concern. "Oh, let me see," he said as he approached Squid and I. I hesitatingly lifted one of my hands to X-Rays level, and watched in horror as he grabbed it in his own, and laughed as he spit on it.  
  
~* Well, what do y'all think? Good? Bad? Please let me know! And for anyone who doesn't know, Vail is in Colorado. But I'm sure everyone knew that. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!!!~* 


	12. Chapter 12

~Chapter 12~  
  
I've never seen someone jump as quickly as Squid did on X-Ray at that moment. Before the realization of what had just happened settled in, Squid was on top of X-Ray, punching him with all of his strength.  
  
"Stop!" I yelled as Zig-Zag and Magnet saw what was going on and ran over. They tried to pull them apart, but they were like leeches, sticking to one another until all the blood had been drained.  
  
Zig-Zag and Magnet finally managed to get them apart as Squid started yelling. "What the fuck is wrong with you, man? Who the hell do you think you are?!"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry Saint Alan," X-Ray screamed back, "I didn't know I had to act like I was in church around you!"  
  
"You don't have to be a saint to know that you don't fucking spit on people! You just don't do it!"  
  
"You wanna know who I think I am? Who the hell are you? Some little slut walks in and all of a sudden you're this perfect little gentleman! Are you that desperate for some ass, Squid?"  
  
Squid lunged for him again but Zig-Zag successfully held him back.  
  
"Let's go X," Magnet said quietly, pulling him towards the Wreck Room as he looked sympathetically towards Squid and I.  
  
"Get the fuck off me. I can walk by myself, asshole," X-Ray yelled as he stormed off towards the Wreck Room.  
  
"Sorry, Ribbon," Zig-Zag and Magnet both stated as they followed X- Ray, "He's a real asshole sometimes."  
  
Squid and I stood silently for a minute as we watched the boys disappear. "Hayden, I'm not trying to get any--," Squid began, but I cut him off.  
  
"I know," I replied, noticing his bleeding lip. "It was really nice of you to stick up for me though," I said as I dabbed at his cut with my fingertip, wiping away the blood.  
  
He wiped the rest away with his sleeve and ran his tongue over the cut. "Come on," he said quietly, putting his hand on my shoulder, "lets go fix those hands."  
  
We walked into the deserted cabin and were nearly asphyxiated by the dust. "I take it no one's been hurt for a while," I said as I dodged a massive cobweb.  
  
"Oh no, we've been hurt, they just don't care," He responded as he looked through a few of the cabinets. "Well, the first thing we've gotta do is clean them, I guess. Right?"  
  
I nodded as he took out an old rag and a dust-ridden roll of surgical tape and bandages. "Okay," he said, "I'll go wet this, and I'll be right back."  
  
I nodded and watched him walk out the door. Why was he being so nice to me? Why would he care so much when he just met me? I smiled though, realizing that for the first time, I was really comfortable around a boy. Really, truly comfortable. I felt safe for the first time since that awful night.  
  
He returned quickly and sat in the creaky, dust covered wooden chair next to the one in which I was sitting. He turned it around to face me and gently took my right hand. The blood had mixed with the dirt and had dried quickly in the hot sun, making it difficult to remove. We didn't speak at all, but he worked with the concentration and gentleness of a brain surgeon, not stopping until he had successfully removed all the excess blood.  
  
"Squid?" I asked as he began to tie a clean cloth around my right hand.  
  
"Mm-hm?" he mumbled, not lifting his eyes from his work.  
  
"What are you here for?" I asked, wondering what such a caring person was doing in a place like this.  
  
"I told you," He replied, still concentrating, "I stole stuff."  
  
"Yeah, but why?" I asked softly.  
  
"I had no choice," he explained, "My mom was a drunk and my dad left us, and we had no money. If I had gotten a job myself, I wouldn't have been able to take care of my mom and she would've died. I did it to survive."  
  
I felt my heart hurting inside my chest as he told me his story. I looked at him and wondered how God could let such a beautiful, caring person go through so much pain. Who was I that I was allowed the life I had? Why wasn't he allowed the same?  
  
"Squid, I'm so sorry," I whispered as he finished tying the second bandage.  
  
"Hey, its not your fault," he said, looking up at me with a smile. The same smile that had appeared on mamma's face the day I left.  
  
"What are you going to do when you get out of here?" I asked.  
  
"I don't know," he sighed, leaning back in his chair, "I'll be 18 then, I guess, I wont have to go back home to my mom. I feel like I have to though. I have to take care of her. I really worry about her, with me being here and all. I write to her but she doesn't write back. I figure though that if anything really bad happens, I'll find out. Right?"  
  
I nodded, not sure of what to say.  
  
"Well, I guess we better go," he said, standing up slowly. I stood up as well and we walked towards the door.  
  
"Squid?" I asked again, following him a step behind.  
  
"Yeah?" he replied as he paused before opening the door.  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"17," he responded, "How 'bout you?"  
  
"16," I told him and he opened the door.  
  
"Ah, Sweet 16," he smiled as he placed a hand on my back and allowed me out through the door ahead of him.  
  
"Yeah, it can be pretty sweet," I thought, as I glanced over at him walking next to me and smiled.  
  
~* Okay, thanks so much for reading, and for everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Don't forget to review this one! Please do so, I really need to know if I'm going on the right track here! Thanks guys!~* 


End file.
